Jude 4 - For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
lasciviousness / gk - aselgeis, meaning one who is insolent, contemptuous in speech and behavior, unbridled lust (there are at least 5 forms of lust patterns) 1. Sensual or sexual lust / 2. Power lust (wanting control) / 3. Approbation lust (acceptance of others) / 4. Material lust (problem with details) / 5. Pleasure lust (creature comforts).
The most common understanding among Christians of this verse is associated with believers who take the grace of God and use it to live in lasciviousness or turn grace into lasciviousness by living in some form of lust or sin. The term that is often used is, 'license to sin'. This is not what this phrase means at all. This phrase refers to ungodly men who have crept into a local church. This church preaches grace and the believers of that local body are oriented to Jesus Christ through grace and truth. These men have a strategy and begin to take what God has done through grace in that church and begin to corrupt it by turning it into lasciviousness. These men do not walk in the Spirit and do not have the love of God motivating them in this endeavor. They begin by accusing the preacher of teaching too much grace and accuse certain weak believers, who are growing in grace, of living in secret sin or being unrealistic about the grace message.
They do this in small groups and become close to those that have problems with power and approbation lust and those that always want to be heard or feel rejected by the leadership. They examine the preacher, his family and those that are close to him and lay subtle charges that he has favorites and his own circle of friends making him a respecter of persons. Through these charges, those that listen to these men begin to isolate themselves from others and become skeptical of the message of grace. They also become critical of the ministry of grace toward those they feel don't deserve it or are not being honest about their problem with sin. These men and those they have influenced are taking the grace that God is using to build up believers and corrupting it into an excuse to eventually live in lasciviousness. They charge others of practicing lasciviousness by attacking the grace message so they can do it themselves being justified by their accusation of others. This is what makes them ungodly men, ordained to condemnation and who deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
lasciviousness / gk - aselgeis, meaning one who is insolent, contemptuous in speech and behavior, unbridled lust (there are at least 5 forms of lust patterns) 1. Sensual or sexual lust / 2. Power lust (wanting control) / 3. Approbation lust (acceptance of others) / 4. Material lust (problem with details) / 5. Pleasure lust (creature comforts).
The most common understanding among Christians of this verse is associated with believers who take the grace of God and use it to live in lasciviousness or turn grace into lasciviousness by living in some form of lust or sin. The term that is often used is, 'license to sin'. This is not what this phrase means at all. This phrase refers to ungodly men who have crept into a local church. This church preaches grace and the believers of that local body are oriented to Jesus Christ through grace and truth. These men have a strategy and begin to take what God has done through grace in that church and begin to corrupt it by turning it into lasciviousness. These men do not walk in the Spirit and do not have the love of God motivating them in this endeavor. They begin by accusing the preacher of teaching too much grace and accuse certain weak believers, who are growing in grace, of living in secret sin or being unrealistic about the grace message.
They do this in small groups and become close to those that have problems with power and approbation lust and those that always want to be heard or feel rejected by the leadership. They examine the preacher, his family and those that are close to him and lay subtle charges that he has favorites and his own circle of friends making him a respecter of persons. Through these charges, those that listen to these men begin to isolate themselves from others and become skeptical of the message of grace. They also become critical of the ministry of grace toward those they feel don't deserve it or are not being honest about their problem with sin. These men and those they have influenced are taking the grace that God is using to build up believers and corrupting it into an excuse to eventually live in lasciviousness. They charge others of practicing lasciviousness by attacking the grace message so they can do it themselves being justified by their accusation of others. This is what makes them ungodly men, ordained to condemnation and who deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
thought I'd bring it up for reconsideration and comments